The presence of light elements like C, N, O has wide influence on the properties of solar-grade silicon. Since silicon is the dominating raw material of solar cells, the purity of crystalline silicon has significant influence on electrical properties of solar cells. In this paper, the research progress on carbon, nitrogen and oxygen on the presence, distribution, formation mechanism and process control was summarized. An outlook for light elements research in silicon was also proposed, the

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... nation of different purification methods to control and eliminate impurities in silicon is worth paying attention to investigate, and the further research on the behavior of C, N, O in silicon can also improve silicon quality.